Getting value out of wheat bran - comparison of environmental and economic credentials of potential processing routes and products

TThe overall aim of the project will be to understand the economic and environmental impacts of a range of bran and/or stem processing routes on Mondelez's wheat production process. In this wide-ranging and multidisciplinary project, you will:

Review the state of the art in upcycling of biomasses such as stems and bran and screen potential processing routes according to criteria developed by the research team in consultation with Mondelez.

Design and optimise an experimental programme to investigate selected bran and/or stem processing methods. This will involve optimisation of the processing methods to maximise the yield and quality of the target product. Characterise and assess potential applications of the products.

Assess the possible processing routes and products using Life Cycle Analysis and Technoeconomic Assessment of the selected methods.

The outcome of the work will be a recommendation for a new process to produce novel products from by-products of the biscuit production process, with very real prospects of uptake of your technology.

The student will be supported by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in biomass processing techniques, novel ingredients and Life Cycle and Technoeconomic Analysis.